


When My Blood Turns Black

by Demon_Apostle



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Au Ra Xaela (Final Fantasy XIV), Black Mage Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Canon-Typical Violence, Emotions, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Mild Gore, Minor Violence, Poisoning, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV) Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 15:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20659655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demon_Apostle/pseuds/Demon_Apostle
Summary: A group of bandits have been making trouble in Coerthas. Naturally, the Scions are asked to help, and things manage to take a turn for the worse.





	When My Blood Turns Black

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story is more kinda post Dragonsong, but there wasn't a tag for that, so I went with Heavensward. Also, I just really wanted to write my WoL in a situation of almost mortal danger because character suffering is my drug. I have issues. 
> 
> I own nothing from FFXIV.

If there was one thing Alphinaud knew was a surefire way to make him annoyed, it would be the fact that he's not only freezing, but that he also has to fight a group of bandits while cold. He understands why they chose Coerthas, he does. Not many are willing to traverse the snow covered terrain that plenty of monsters call home, so it makes sense that someone looking to hide from the law would seek shelter in a land that's fairly lawless. Well, before Ishgard finally opened its gates and allowed visitors from other nations. However, the new link between powers didn't seem to bother this group that have decided to pull a page out of the book from the now disbanded heretic group Ysayle led. They've taken to attacking supply wagons stocked with goods meant for trading and selling since merchants are now free to show off their wares to people outside of Ishgard. Along with this was the apparent trouble that the scouts and everyone else assigned to finding the bandits was having because despite it already being quite a while since they showed up, no progress had been made in finding the assailants.

Which meant, of course, that Alphinaud and Amasara were called in to deal with these bandits since they had the closest relationship with the people.

It made sense, taking into account that the Scions seemed to possess an uncanny ability for solving problems, Amasara most of all. Alphinaud still doesn't know whether to classify it as a perk from the blessing of light or insane luck. If it is luck, the young Elezen still has yet to decide if it's good or bad luck because as he stated earlier, fighting bandits in the cold is a highly unpleasant experience. All it took was a little looking, some questions asked here and there, and of course, the two Scions found the group within a couple of days. Unfortunately, there were more than previously thought, and the two had been caught before they could sneak out of the winding cave system to tell Aymeric where the bandits were hiding. He only hopes that the two scouts they split off from earlier to cover more ground are alright and will be able to go get backup once they realize Alphinaud and Amasara aren't going to show up any time soon.

For now, though, he has to focus on not getting impaled on a sword, hit with a fireball, or shot with an arrow. Amasara is doing pretty much the same, although he's able to relax just a bit thanks to the ward he put around himself to pair with the multiple ice pillars. Of course, that doesn't mean he's completely safe because it doesn't seem like these bandits are willing to give him even a second to gather enough mana to cast a spell.

Such is the struggle of being a black mage with a famous name.

Luckily, Amasara has gotten a few good spells off, managing to reduce the enemy numbers by a decent amount with only a few minor injuries that Alphinaud had been able to quickly heal. If they keep it up, he's sure that they'll be able to either take down the bandits by themselves or hold on long enough for reinforcements to arrive if the scouts have put two and two together. Retreating will be a last resort if they start to get overwhelmed because while they may be able to find the bandits again, Alphinaud wants to leave these cold lands as soon as possible so he can return some feeling into his appendages. Thankfully, it looks like his wish might come true because between him and Amasara, the number of bandits have dwindled to a manageable amount. Victory seems to be within their grasp.

Which, of course, means something is about to go wrong.

In a moment of stupidity, Alphinaud had let his guard down, watching as his carbuncle rammed itself into the head of a bandit, successfully knocking him out. This allowed one of the enemies to use the pillars as a sort of cover, sneaking around to get behind him without the young man noticing. It's only when Amasara shouts his name that Alphinaud turns just in time to see the bandit raise his sword. There's little to no time to react, and all the Elezen can think to do is close his eyes and raise his arms in defense (a dumb move honestly, his skin can't stop sharp steel). He expects pain, but just gets wind that makes him cold and the sound of a strained grunt that prompts his eyes back open. Amasara is standing between him and the bandit, staff being used to block the sword since it seems his ward has given out. In a normal situation, the sword might win and the mage would soon be overpowered since they're meant to stay as far away from sharp objects as possible, thus giving them slightly weaker muscle tone. 

However, pairing his high magical aptitude with a strong Au Ra body grants Amasara an advantage other mages wouldn't have. The Warrior of Light is not only able to stop the sword and keep his grip on his staff, he's able to match power with the bandit. Both seem to be straining against the other, and Alphinaud is about to order his carbuncle to help his friend when he hears the unmistakable sound of a bowstring being released. Which means, of course, that an arrow will have been let loose.

Right into the meat of Amasara's left thigh, his pants no more a protective barrier than the air.

The mage grunts in pain, his leg giving out and causing him to kneel on the ground. This new development allows the bandit to gain a bit more power, pushing the blade of his sword until it has gotten frighteningly close to Amasara's face. Brain catching up with him, Alphinaud calls for his carbuncle who swiftly rams into the enemy's stomach, successfully knocking him off balance before delivering a blow to the head that knocks him out. This allows the young man to look for the source of the arrow and he spots a woman half hidden behind a pillar with another arrow ready to be nocked. Alphinaud doesn't let her pull it back since he has his carbuncle do a repeat performance on her, promptly taking her out before she can do more damage. Unfortunately, more enemies remain, and they seem to have gained a confidence boost now that Amasara is injured. Alphinaud bites his lip, mind racing as he tries to come up with a way to have them both leave this cave alive.

And Hydaelyn seems to be smiling down on them because it's at that moment that Ishgard soldiers begin pouring in, fighting against the remaining bandits who appear to have been caught off guard. It's not long before the fight is over and the bandits are either dead or tied up. With that done, Alphinaud can focus his full attention on Amasara whose leg is still playing home to an arrow. The wound isn't bleeding that much, but it's still enough that Alphinaud knows he needs an actual healer, and he can't help but give his friend a very worried look.

"How bad does it hurt?" Amasara twists his leg a bit to get a better look, frowning when he shifts his blood soaked pants to the side to try and get a full view of the injury.

"I'll live, but it unfortunately missed my scales. They might have managed to lessen the damage, if only a bit." That causes Alphinaud to frown as well, but he doesn't get a chance to reply before the mage starts going through the pouch at his side. It takes a moment until Amasara seems to find what he was after, removing his hand that's now holding what appears to be some bandages. He then takes his left hand and, before the Elezen can protest, grabs the arrow and yanks it free of his leg. Amasara gives a muted yelp from the pain while Alphinaud's eyes go wide with worry.

"By the twelve, what were you thinking?!" The Warrior of Light doesn't answer, simply takes the bandages he grabbed a moment earlier and starts wrapping his leg. When he's done, Amasara gives his work a once over to make sure it's secure, puts the remaining bandages back, then looks at his friend with a small smile.

"I was thinking that I didn't want to walk with an arrow in my leg." Alphinaud blinks, gaze going between the mage and the bloody arrow on the ground before he speaks.

"You could have warned me at least." This earns a deep chuckle from the other.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I have to remove something sharp from my person." Alphinaud scowls deeply, but all this does is make Amasara give another chuckle.

~~~~~

The walk back to Ishgard is uneventful and quiet, not even the bandits making a sound as they're led from the cave to the massive gates. In that time, Alphinaud has kept a close eye on his friend, watching him limp his way through the snow as he uses his staff as a makeshift walking stick. It's easy enough to do since the weapon is almost as tall as Amasara, but it's not the obvious outcome of taking an arrow to the leg that has the young man watching the other so intently. 

It's the fact that, over the course of their walk, the Au Ra has started breathing heavier and looking ready to pass out. It's most likely due to the arrow wound, something that had started to bleed through the bandage some time ago, turning the white a deep cherry red.

Actually, if Alphinaud looks a little harder, the blood almost looks… black.

The Elezen's eyebrows pinch together, but he can't so much as take a step towards Amasara when he hears Aymeric's voice call out to them. Alphinaud turns, and sure enough, the Lord Commander and Lucia are walking towards them while the temple knights take the bandits away. The young man smiles as best he can with his frost bitten cheeks, trying to return the warm look Aymeric gives as he speaks.

"I had almost been beside myself with worry when the scouts came back without you. 'Tis good to see that you have returned to us hale and whole." It's that remark that wipes the smile from Alphinaud's face, his eyes briefly turning towards the ground before he looks in Amasara's direction.

"That's not entirely true. One of us ended up with an arrow in the leg saving his moronic companion." Now they're all looking at the mage whose eyes have become almost glassy, a sort of distant look in them that makes Aymeric frown deeply.

"Are you alright my friend?" Amasara doesn't answer, doesn't even look their way as he leans even more on his staff, looking ready to pass out at any moment. 

Which he does, pitching forward so fast that none of them can react quickly enough to catch him. Both the Warrior of Light and his staff fall to the ground with a loud thud, the noise prompting those around him to move and see if he's alright. Aymeric and Lucia turn him over, exposing his pinched face and heaving chest. Beads of sweat have started forming on his forehead, and if Alphinaud looks close enough, he can see a slight shiver in the massive frame. Amasara looks as if he's in the middle of fighting off a nasty fever, and that thought is what makes the young man look back at the bandaged wound.

Turns out his previous discovery was right.

The blood is black.

~~~~~

Poison. That's the reason for Amasara's discolored blood and sudden collapse. The arrow that hit him had been coated in some sort of toxin, one that luckily the chirurgeons could identify and prepare an antidote for. The only downside is that the antidote won't be ready until tomorrow since they had just run out of a certain ingredient required in the recipe and the stock won't be refilled until morning. So that means Alphinaud has to sit there, watching his friend lay in bed and listen to him give an occasional noise of discomfort. It's already been a few hours since Amasara's seemingly painful meeting with the stone ground, and Alphinaud is actually quite surprised he hasn't gone mad with worry yet. The Elezen isn't entirely familiar with poisons, but he does know that the longer it's left to run its course, the worse off his friend is going to be. The only comfort (however comforting it can be) that's been granted to Alphinaud are the words from the chirurgeons, telling him that the toxin is one that's meant to draw out the pain. If left alone, it'd take at least three days before Amasara succumbed to its effects, and considering they'll have the antidote ready within a day, it's highly likely he'll survive.

But until that time, all Alphinaud can do is sit there, twiddling his thumbs while the mage suffers. The young man hasn't bothered to tell anyone else what's happened, not even Tataru who's just one call away via linkpearl. The reason is because he doesn't want there to be any repercussions in case word gets out that the Warrior of Light has been temporarily incapacitated. Who knows what might happen, what enemies will crawl out of their holes for a chance at mayhem, what calamity might rear its ugly head. Of course, he could just be overthinking things, but Alphinaud would rather be safe than sorry. So the Elezen sits there, watching over his friend like he did Estinien to make sure Amasara does indeed come out alive.

He sits there and waits.

And waits.

And waits some more.

Alphinaud dozes occasionally, letting his eyes rest just long enough to ward off the growing need for sleep. The chirurgeons in charge of Amasara bring him food at the behest of Aymeric who's a bit busy sorting out the damage done by the bandits. However, he does send Lucia a few times because he trusts his right hand to give him the truth about the mage, not the healers who might try to lessen the blow with honeyed words and useless platitudes. Fortunately, Amasara's condition doesn't change much the entire night even though a glimpse under the bandage reveals that the poison has indeed taken root even further.

Alphinaud had abruptly looked away as the chirurgeon changed the dressing, knowing full well that if he kept looking, the food in his stomach would have most likely tried to escape.

It isn't until evening that the healers come in with the antidote, administering it to Amasara as quickly as they can so it can work on getting rid of the poison that's already gotten a head start. Alphinaud watches all the while, on the lookout for even the smallest hints that'll tell him the Au Ra is taking a turn for the better. The change doesn't come immediately, not for at least a few hours, but the Elezen feels a giant wave of relief wash over him when Amasara's face relaxes and his pained noises stop completely. This time, when the healers change the bandage again, Alphinaud doesn't look away, and he smiles a little when he notices that the wound doesn't look as angry as it did earlier.

It's still a few hours until Amasara is completely healed, and when he finally opens his eyes, the younger man can't help the face splitting smile and small tears in his eyes as he starts berating the other for scaring him like that. The Warrior of Light just smiles, promises not to get shot by arrows any time soon, and laughs when Alphinaud corrects him by saying _ ever. _

**Author's Note:**

> I swear, the longer my writing hiatus, the weirder my stories sound.


End file.
